Carbohydrates: What Are They?

The Function of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient essential to the everyday life of humans and animals alike. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Whenever energy is needed for a person’s muscles to move, they use carbohydrates. Specifically, they break down carbohydrates into glucose, a sugar, which is then used to fuel cellular activities. If glucose isn’t used, then it’s turned into glycogen for storage. However, when carbohydrates aren’t present, the body utilizes lipids, or fats, in order to get energy. People use certain diets to target the usage of lipids over carbohydrates in order to burn fat by consuming a low amount of carbohydrates.

When the Body Needs Carbohydrates

The body needs carbohydrates all the time. Every action an individual does, including nonvoluntary ones, requires energy, all of which are derived from carbohydrates. However, the body burns carbohydrates faster when doing certain movements. These movements are medium to high intensity with high repetitions, or cardiovascular training. Due to the endurance aspect of cardiovascular training, a lot of energy is consumed over a larger segment of time, resulting in a requirement for a high amount of energy. One organ in particular needs a lot of energy, the brain. The brain burns an exceptional amount of carbohydrates, about 20%, despite being only about 2% of a person’s body weight. Because of this, it’s important to eat an adequate amount of carbohydrates daily in order for the brain to function properly and at its full ability.

What Are the Different Types of Carbohydrates?

There are two different types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple carbs have a simple structure and are quickly digested and absorbed, resulting in the quick release of energy. Complex carbs have a more complex chemical structure and are more slowly digested and absorbed, resulting in a more prolonged release of energy. Due to this 

Some foods that mainly include simple carbs are:

Some foods that mainly include complex carbs are:

From a glance, simple carbs seem significantly more unhealthy compared to complex carbs. However this isn’t completely true. Simple carbs can mainly be found in products with processed and refined sugar in them, but they can also be found in smaller amounts inside fruits. 

Good Sources of Carbohydrates

Whole grains:

Fruits:

Vegetables:

Adding a variety of these healthy carbohydrate sources into can help maintain energy levels and provide essential nutrients for overall well-being. Consuming unprocessed foods also ensures that the maximum nutritional benefits are received.

Written by: Kevin